Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Wednesday's Forecast
Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
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Moderate breeze, locally gusty
A noticeable breeze, feeling cool where exposed on tops. Locally may be gusty, but unlikely to affect walking progress. 15-25mph.
Patchwork of cloud and sun
Dry most or all day. A mix of cloud and sunshine. Occasional cloud banks drifting over higher slopes, lifting above the tops.
Cool to mild
Air temperature 5 to 10C on higher terrain. Comfortable temperatures on lower terrain, but feeling chilly if exposed to wind higher up, especially if stationary. Pack extra layers.
Winter kit required on higher terrain
Snow cover over higher mountains. Safe progress over some terrain will require suitable footwear - possibly crampons and ice-axe where necessary.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Wednesday 8th April 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Apr 26 at
4:09PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Light wind and warm England and Wales; mostly clear hills and often sunny; some haze weakens visibility, notably Pennines. Some hill-cloud lingers in Lakeland. Morning cloud and summit drizzle west/central Scotland, cloud moves east but an improving trend; wind strengthens northwest, cooler here too.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Early cloud breaks, clearest north where feeling warm
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 15-20mph, strongest higher Cairngorms; some variability, strong gusts over summits later, up to 30-35mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small in places, but risk uncomfortably gusty over higher terrain, particularly later in the day when gusts will begin to affect stability.
How Wet?
Little or no rain
In the morning, some fine drizzle drifting around the high western tops, also a chance of some patchy rain further east. With time, rain and drizzle fades for dry mountains.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive morning, a breaking trend, best clearance north
From dawn, a fairly extensive layer of cloud shrouds the Cairngorm plateau with base down to middle southern slopes, as well as towards Drumochter/southern Monadhliath. A lifting and breaking trend with time, cloud lingers longest on Deeside slopes, but most summits likely see clear periods afternoon. Northeast slopes clearest all day.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30% rising to 70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
A patchwork of cloud and sun, perhaps more sun afternoon, sunshine more extensive northern Cairngorm plateau. Visibility excellent, a distant haze to the east.
How Cold? (at 900m)
7 to 9C, little change with added height in the morning. Mildest north and east where may locally rise to 10C.
Freezing Level
Above the summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Thursday 9th April 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Apr 26 at
4:09PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Gusty west-southwesterly 20-30mph, gusts approaching 35mph occasionally.
Effect of the wind on you?
May be fairly small at times, though blustery on high Cairngorm plateau and feeling chilly.
How Wet?
Morning rain, afternoon showers
A band of rain passes east across all areas through the morning, falling as snow on the high tops, breaking afternoon into scattered snow showers, most frequent near and west of the A9.
Cloud on the hills?
Early cloud, lifting to high terrain with breaks
Fairly extensive over high terrain at dawn, to middle south and western slopes. Breaking from the west to mostly above 1000m, breaks off the high tops, then cloud returning in showers; eastern tops may stay clear for longer stretches.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
10% early, rising to 50%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Overcast early with poor visibility in rain, bursts of bright sunshine breaking out afternoon with very good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2 to 5C at dawn, mildest northeast slopes, cooling from the west to 0C. Feeling like -10C in strongest wind.
Freezing Level
Just above the summits at dawn, soon lowering from the west, to 900m afternoon/evening, locally higher east.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 10th April 2026
Last updated
Tue 7th Apr 26 at
4:09PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southwesterly 15-25mph dawn, shifting southerly and strengthening, towards 45-55mph over high Cairngorms by dusk.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small in the east at first, but walking increasingly challenging through afternoon with severe wind chill.
How Wet?
Substantially dry
Precipitation unlikely until late in the day, when patchy rain and snow arrives from the south, falling as snow above 600-700m, and mostly confined to Drumochter/south Cairngorm slopes.
Cloud on the hills?
Cloud on high terrain afternoon
Some patchy mist in glens/corries in the morning, this soon lifting and dissipating for cloud-free hills into afternoon. With time afternoon, cloud returns to high terrain, mostly central highlands where bases will approach 800m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
70%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny through morning, high cloud building afternoon, mostly cloudy by dusk. Good visibility.
How Cold? (at 900m)
-2C, rising to +1C. Staying lifted for several hours into night. Later, feeling like -13 to -15C in wind.
Freezing Level
500-600m from dawn, light frosts likely in glens too. Gradually lifting to 900-1000m.
Planning Outlook
Variable weather regimes in the extended forecast. Atlantic west-southwesterly winds will be dominant, with low pressure to the northwest of the country, brining cloud, rain, and mild temperatures, often followed by sun, showers, and cooler temperatures; rain will be increasingly common to the high Munros, but the snowfall level will lower too during periods of cooler weather, and perhaps to high Lakeland fells too, though any snow unlikely to accumulate here. In the longer term, indications of high pressure increasingly building from the southwest, brining drier, brighter, and milder conditions to England and Wales and occasionally Scotland too, though the risk of occasional rain and cooler temperatures remains.